As can be seen by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos: 3,599,336; 3,907,435; 3,742,581 and 3,879,132, the prior art is replete with diverse visual target and alignment systems for determining, verifying, and/or adjusting a moveable item with respect to a stationary columnated point of reference such as a laser beam or the like.
While the aforementioned prior art methods and apparatus are only representative of the various arrangements to found in the patent literature; they also more than adequately reflect some of the more common structural and functional deficiencies that are shared in whole or in part by this body of prior art.
To begin with most of the alignment methods and apparatus involve very complex structural arrangements used to accurately align individual pipe segments in a sequential fashion. While this general concept no doubt produces very accurate results, it also consumes a great deal of time and manpower.
By accepting the basic premise that the general concept was valid in theory; but, misapplied in actual practice, it became obvious that a more efficient way of implementing the general concept could be developed, that would dramatically reduce the time and manpower requirements attendant upon the prior art methods and apparatus, while still producing an end result that very closely approaches the tolerances achieved by the prior art methods.
It also became obvious that in order to achieve the desired objectives, it would be necessary to utilize some if not all of the broad structrual components found in most of the prior art methods; however, these components would have to be modified and utilized for the most part in a very different fashion than had been the case heretofore.
The method and apparatus that forms the basis of this invention represents the culmination of the aforementioned rethinking process, and represents a unique, relatively simply, and comparatively very rapid method and apparatus for laying pipe.